As we wrap up the University's 25-year anniversary as an NCAA Division I program, let's takes a deeper dive into the student-athletes who have filled the 525 rosters since Fall 2001. The total number of Division I student-athletes who have represented Binghamton University to date … 3,424 across 21 sports. But where did they come from?    

It's no great surprise that more than 70 percent of our Division I student-athletes hail from New York State (2,536, 74%), where Binghamton's academic and "best buy" reputation is well established. The state that produces the second-most Bearcat athletes is New Jersey (153), followed by Pennsylvania (114), California (38), Massachusetts (33), Connecticut (31), Virginia (31), Illinois (30), Maryland (29) and Florida (26).

Within New York, Binghamton Athletics has continued a stronghold on its local athletes, a trend that began during the University's lengthy Division III era. A review of the data reveals that the top two NYS cities to produce Bearcat student-athletes are Binghamton (67) and Vestal (59). The former total is boosted by proximity towns that share a Binghamton mailing address. Vestal is the physical home of the University on Vestal Parkway East (Rt. 434).

More than 125 Binghamton/Vestal athletes bucked common tradition of "going away to college" and stayed in the Southern Tier as Bearcats – a nod to both the school's reputation and the grit and talent level of its local athletes. If you also include nearby towns of Endicott, Johnson City and Endwell, the number swells to 193. So if it was its own state, the Southern Tier would rank second in total Bearcat recruits.  
 
Brooklyn tops among NYC boroughs
After Binghamton and Vestal, No. 3 on the most popular hometown list is Brooklyn with 40. The remainder of the top-10 includes Rochester (38), Syracuse (37), Staten Island (35), Long Island hotbeds Smithtown (26) and Massapequa (24) and local Endwell (25) and Endicott (24).

Brooklyn athletes have achieved on the courts at Binghamton. Three-time all-conference women's tennis standout Katia Medianik hails from Brooklyn, as does fellow scholar-athlete and tennis player Lya Kushnirovich. On the hardwood, 6-foot-9 center Kyrie Sutton came from Brooklyn and helped lead the 2008-09 Bearcats to their only conference title and NCAA tournament berth. Current men's basketball coach Levell Sanders grew up in Brooklyn before starring at Seton Hall and overseas. 

The Rochester and Syracuse numbers swell when surrounding suburbs are included.
 
"Bestal" High has churned out big-time Bearcat performers
As for high schools, local Vestal has bragging rights with 65 graduates who traded nicknames from high school "Bears" to college "Bearcats."

Among the "Mount Rushmore" candidates from Vestal High are Hall of Fame baseball player Corey Taylor and the uber talented, soccer-playing McKnight family, which offered Connor and Parker and twins Olivia and Victoria. The Gaube brothers – baseball ace Tom and elite distance runner Chris made their trek to Bing a quick one from the Stair Tract neighborhood just off campus. Tanner Sinicki completed his unique journey from years-long bat boy to relief pitcher to assistant coach all while growing up just a long toss from campus.

Baseball head coach Tim Sinicki, himself owning local roots (Johnson City) has tapped Vestal quite a bit in his 34-year tenure. Cousins and all-conference selections Matt Simek and Mike Van Gorder swapped shades of green baseball hats from high school to college. Hoopster Jeff Daws, who nearly took down North Carolina with his 3-point shooting in 2001, was a Vestal Golden Bear, as were America East swim champion Corrine Zotter and lacrosse record-holder Jeff Rurey.        

Second to Vestal High on the list is fierce local rival Maine-Endwell with 29 former Spartans traveling across the river to campus. Heading that list is All-American distance runner Dan Schaffer and a surplus of men's and women's soccer players. Sibling tandem Kyle and Taylor Kucharski made an impact on their respective soccer teams. All-conference lacrosse goalie Tanner Cosens started as a Spartan, as did all-conference throwing sisters Marisa and Laura Yelverton.

Massive Shenendehowa High in Clifton Park, boasting an enrollment (3,000+) that exceeds many colleges, has produced 28 Bearcat student-athletes. Notable Shen alums include MLB pitcher Murphy Smith and his brother Morgan, along with fellow elite MLB draft picks Justin Yurchak and Ben Anderson. First team all-conference midfielder Deli Plourde, who led the women's soccer team to the NCAAs in 2004, began at Shen.    

Long Island Catholic school St. Anthony's, which has steered 27 students to Binghamton spread across 11 sports. The high school has churned out talented Bearcats in men's and women's lacrosse, swim and soccer among others. Women's lacrosse coach Stephanie Allen has four players from St. Anthony's on her 2026 roster.

Long Island powerhouse Massapequa and Dutchess County-based John Jay share the No. 5 spot. Massapequa is home to lacrosse All-American Thomas Greenblatt and women's soccer goalkeeper standouts Katie Hatziyianis and Haylee Poltorak. John Jay has some heavy hitters on its alumni list, including soccer talent Jake Keegan, Binghamton's all-time scoring leader who has enjoyed a 14+ year professional career. Baseball standout Dave Ciocchi, who helped lead the Bearcats to their inaugural NCAA Regional appearance in 2009, came via John Jay, as has current baseball ace Hayden Tarsia. Two-year women's soccer captain Erin Theiller, one of the finest defenders in program history, was a John Jay product.   
 
Bearcats have circled the globe to arrive at Binghamton
International students have accounted for 7 percent of Bearcat Division I athletes (239), led by Canada (47), England (21), Scotland (11), China (9) and Germany (9).

Former women's tennis captain and commencement speaker Lara Kaplan and her handful of fellow Auzzie compatriots can lay claim to traveling the longest distance from home to campus. Door to door, Kaplan had a 30-hour trek when she competed for the Bearcats between 2020-23.

The men's tennis program holds the mantel for most conference championships and recruiting mileage over 25 years. The 12-time conference champion Bearcats have plucked talented student-athletes from such far-reaching countries as Hong Kong, China, India, Morocco, Brazil, Bangladesh and New Zealand. The most unique hometown requires a scan of the globe to find Reunion Island, where brothers Alex and Ruben Haggai grew up. The island is located some 9,100 miles away (second-furthest to Kaplan's Australia at 9,900) in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar. In all, Binghamton men's tennis coaches Michael Starke (1987-06), Adam Cohen (2006-14) and current mentor Nick Zieziula have covered six of the seven continents and 29 countries to successfully seek out championship student-athletes.    

Zieziula's current team, two-time reigning conference champs, has Andre Ajed, the first Hawaiian Bearcat in any sport, plus players spanning eight countries, including James McPherson, who hails from Aukland, New Zealand. 

Closer to home, Marathon, located 30 miles north of campus, has produced just two Bearcat athletes. But they happened to be two of the finest in school history. Wrestler Donnie Vinson and distance runner Erik van Ingen, who played youth sports together, became All-Americans and Hall of Fame inductees, making Marathon the best ROI for Binghamton recruiting.